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Lifelong learning, collaboration, and communication are central to success in the 21st century. The Literacy and Languages (L&L) Concentration prepares you with core knowledge about how language and literacy skills support school achievement and promote student outcomes, locally and globally. In this concentration, you will explore literacy from developmental, academic, and cultural perspectives and learn how to support literacy across the life span for all learners, including multilingual and multiliterate learners, members of communities of color, and learners with special needs. Graduates may pursue positions in policy, practice, or the research and nonprofit worlds, in roles as varied as researcher, literacy start-up founder, classroom teacher, curriculum director or coach, preK–12 administrator, policy leader at the district or state level, and literacy test developer.
“Every other initiative that leaders might undertake is less important than making sure that students learn how to read. Our Literacy and Languages Concentration explores literacy from a variety of perspectives — preparing educators to deepen their education practice with the skills and strategies needed to support readers of all ages.” Catherine SnowFaculty Co-Chair
“Every other initiative that leaders might undertake is less important than making sure that students learn how to read. Our Literacy and Languages Concentration explores literacy from a variety of perspectives — preparing educators to deepen their education practice with the skills and strategies needed to support readers of all ages.”
Catherine SnowFaculty Co-Chair
Students will work closely with faculty associated with their area of study, but students can also work with and take courses with faculty throughout HGSE and Harvard. The faculty co-chairs for Literacy and Languages are below. View our faculty directory for a full list of HGSE faculty.
Pamela Mason focuses on the role of culturally sustaining pedagogy in promoting literacy achievement, literacy assessment, and the efficacy of reading specialists and literacy coaches.
Catherine Snow is an expert on language and literacy development in children, focusing on how oral language skills are acquired and how they relate to literacy outcomes.
A major goal of the L&L Concentration is to prepare you and your fellow cohort members for participation in the collaborative community of practitioners, researchers, and education leaders that you will join after graduation. As a member of this community, you will have opportunities to link your classroom work to research and policy, through practical courses, research internships, and our speaker series, which addresses literacy issues on the national and international level.
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